TRP: Griffin and Raef (Not Running)
WORD COUNT: 1640 Mink: at 5:44 AM 176. Evening time. Raef and Griffin's room. Raef flattened out the sheet of paper, looking over the drawing on it. It was an old drawing, one that he hadn't pulled out since he had been young and stolen it from Anatoly's library. He smiled a little at the thought. He hadn't supposed to be there, but the man had pissed him off. If Anatoly had known...At least now the drawing would come in handy. The Graverunner's - the guild? - whatever they were now, were up against a thieves guild that was working its way through every city to include Skyport. He needed something from his home and this drawing was the way to get it. However much he hated Alabaster, he had learned some useful things from there. He tapped the drawing with a finger, tracing over the outline of a falcon with its wings spread out. Behind it was a circle and two daggers crossed over. He covered it when the door to the room opened until he saw it was Griffin and the bumbling puppies though Uthax was no longer really a puppy. Raef uncovered the symbol and he turned with a smile at his fiance - the word still made his heart flutter with excitement. He didn't know how he had gotten so fucking lucky again. "Have fun with Gavi?" he asked. She seemed cool and she cared about Griffin. That was what mattered. The more people that cared about Griffin the better. Izzy: at 2:01 PM Griffin had bolted up from the kitchen, giving himself a second to catch his breath outside his and Raef's room so he didn't look like someone was trying to kill him -- even though, yeah, maybe that was what was happening. The puppies charged ahead of him, totally clueless and just happy to be running. He grimaced. Yep. He had been having fun with Gavi. Right up until ... "The others know I'm the Scion," he blurted. "Or -- or Goro and Hansel do. Gavi uh -- I guess she said somethin' and Goro guessed? There was something about Hansel getting possessed by Gruumsh? I didn't know that could happen, and -- uh -- I guess she broke Goro's fingers, and then Hansel hit her, and she had to run for it, and -- and I think we oughta go too, Raef, I don't know. What're we gonna do?" Mink: at 2:29 PM Raef stared. Gavi had told them? Gavi? After Griffin had likely made it clear not to? But that wasn't the problem was that if Goro and Hansel knew then Mishka would know. And, if he had been told the truth about Hansel, that meant shit could come knocking at their door. But...but these people had also let them in when their home burned down and they had had been there for him. He could trust them. Worry gnawed at his stomach. "Do you want to run?" he asked after a moment, arms crossed over his stomach. He tapped his elbows as he tried to think. Izzy: at 2:36 PM "Yeah, sure fucking do," Griffin said immediately. It was kind of his entire thing. Run from home and his destiny or whatever the fuck, run from any orc tribes that might recognize him, run all the way to Skyport and as soon as shit went south there he'd run to Raef's friends' castle. Like he'd told Gavi -- he was really fucking good at running. But, y'know, maybe -- "D'you -- d'you think we have to?" he asked hesitantly, coming a few steps further into the room. "They're your people. Can we ... trust them?" He'd never really had people he could trust before. He didn't know how this worked. Mink: at 2:52 PM He couldn't blame Griffin for wanting to run. This could go badly, for everyone. He pulled at his shirt before he walked over to Griffin. He twined their fingers together and pulled him further into the room. "Yeah. We can." He smiled faintly. "We're not going to run." Not yet. He sighed softly. "You know about Hansel?" Izzy: at 3:00 PM Griffin shook his head. "I don't really -- I didn't really get it. I guess Gruumsh is possessing him 'cause, you know ... I guess it's because of me." Running, all the time, and all. He really didn't know that could happen. He didn't know someone else would have to take it because he hadn't. No more running, though. Okay. Mink: at 3:12 PM That was the crux: Hansel was dealing with this because Griffin fought hard enough against Gruumsh. Hansel was a good guy, but Griffin...well, fuck. He was Griffin. He also didn't have a fucking clue how this could happen. Maybe he should have asked Az more of this issue, but he also hadn't thought he would fall in love with the fucking Scion. "We'll figure shit out." He reached down to pet Uthax. "Because we can't run. They'll find us anyway." Fucking magic users. The Runner's were great and they could chase them. "And I can't kill them." Izzy: at 3:19 PM Griffin looked at him for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah. I mean, shit -- I wouldn't ask you to do that." He knew how formidable the Runners were. He guessed even as good at fucking off as he was, yeah -- maybe he wouldn't be able to if he tried. So, another reason to stay. "What do we ... do, though?" Mink: at 3:20 PM "Talk to some orcs." Izzy: at 3:21 PM He made a face. "I guess if we gotta." Mink: at 3:21 PM Raef let out a soft laugh before he could stop himself. "I'll go talk to some orcs." Izzy: at 3:23 PM "I mean, I'll go with you." Griffin dragged Raef in to hug him. Random orcs might take issue with a random elf showing up and asking questions about Gruumsh, or the Scion, or whatever. Griffin could stand there and be tall and frown and pretend like he wasn't nervous. "Just, uh, maybe you do the talkin', yeah." Mink: at 3:29 PM Raef wrapped his arms around Griffin's waist as he was pulled into a hug, resting his head on his chest. He let out a soft exhale; he could never get enough of this, but now time could be more limited. If they couldn't help Hansel they would come for Griffin. It was what he would do if the roles were reversed. "You sure?" He traced his fingers down Griffin's back. He could talk to orcs -- he had fucking married one and was about to marry another. Izzy: at 3:30 PM "Yeah. I'm not letting you go alone." Mink: at 3:35 PM Az would have told him he was shit out of luck if he wanted to do something stupid. Like this. He smiled and he drew back a little to lean up on his toes to kiss Griffin. "There should be a tribe in the area." He rested a hand on Griffin's chest as he dropped back to his feet. "I need to find Larkin first." Izzy: at 3:40 PM "Oh. Man, you can do that one on your own." He grimaced a bit. That little tiefling freaked him out. She and Raef seemed to be friends, though, at least. Mink: at 3:43 PM "Will do." Raef snorted softly with amusement. He liked Larkin and she had connections, one of whom he was hoping could help him. If he had to help with the Sanguines and have to deal with a god then he had to be prepared. He gently pushed Griffin backwards towards the bed. "But it's going to be dark soon so I can talk to her tomorrow." Izzy: at 3:50 PM Griffin was still antsy. He kept telling himself he wasn't going to run this time, but he was itching to. A distraction would probably be nice. A really nice distraction. He stepped back, letting Raef lead him, still hesitant. "You're sure we'll be safe 'til then?" Mink: at 3:55 PM Raef made Griffin sit on the bed and he placed his hands on either side of his face. "Listen to me. If anyone - and I mean anyone - fucking tries to come after you, I'll fucking gut them." He brushed his thumbs along Griffin's cheeks. He didn't want it to come to that. He liked his friends. "But these are good people." And if they proved him wrong...well, he hadn't lived this long without learning a thing or two.(edited) Izzy: at 4:04 PM Griffin nodded, still kind of unsure -- not about whether or not Raef'd gut people for him -- even gut his own friends -- but about whether or not the Runners were good people. (Hansel had fucking beat the shit out of Gavi. Fuck. She shouldn't've hurt Goro, yeah, but still.) "Okay," he said. "I trust you." Mink: at 4:06 PM Raef smiled softly and he gently pressed their foreheads. "Just do me a favor." Izzy: at 4:06 PM "Yeah. Anything." Mink: at 4:07 PM He slid his fingers through Griffin's hair, shutting his own eyes. "Keep fighting." Izzy: at 4:09 PM Griffin pulled Raef as close as he could get him. He nodded. "I wouldn't know what else to do, Raef." Mink: at 4:14 PM Raef smiled softly at the answer and he slid onto the bed, straddling Griffin's legs as he held him close. He rested his head on top of his fiance's. This was all he needed in his life. "I love you." Izzy: at 4:20 PM "I love you." END Title: Not Running. Summary: Griffin tells Raef about the Runners now knowing he's the Scion. Raef resolves to deal with this problem, and convinces Griffin to keep fighting, not run away. Category:Text Roleplay